also: ぶよ · ぶと
black fly; gnat
Refers to small biting flies of the family Simuliidae. Often encountered near streams. The word is usually written in kana.
I was bitten by black flies at the campsite.
Black flies are common near rivers.
Katakana spelling is common for this insect name; usually written in kana.
Alternate reading and spelling variant.
Less common reading; may be dialectal or older.
Kanji form; rarely used in practice.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Obscure kanji form; not commonly encountered.
Single-character kanji form; very rare.
The origin is uncertain. The word is native Japanese, and the kanji 蚋 is a Chinese character for a similar insect.